Chapter 140: Terribly beaten
1086words
After the jet landed, I threw Aunt Rose a quick text letting her know I made it safely before I called Dakota and got her exact location. She was holed up in a run down motel that hadn't seen its glory days since the 60s. A broken down truck sat permanently parked in one of the spaces and none of the vehicles here were newer than 1998. Several men lined the railing out front as they smoked and drank, and what looked like prostitutes, walked in and out of several different rooms. This place screamed danger, but I wouldn't leave without Dakota.
Aunt Rose luckily had a car waiting for me when I landed and the man behind the wheel was a big, burly son of a bitch. I knew he'd have my back if anything weird went down. The single head nod in the rear view mirror confirmed it.
"I shouldn't be long," I told him.
"I'll be watching."
I got out of the Bentley that probably cost more than this entire building when all eyes turned on me. The men against the railing whistled and cat-called to me, but I did my best to ignore them. I didn't want trouble. Dakota said she was in room eight and that just so happened to be right in front of me on the first floor. I knocked hard several times before she cracked the door open and peered out. Her face lit up when she saw that it was me and whipped the door open.
"You actually came."
"Why wouldn't I, Dakota?" I stepped into the smelly room and saw her bag and contents sprawled all over the bed. She kept her face from me, but I had other plans. I grabbed her shoulder and forced her to look at me before I inhaled a sharp breath. "Dakota," I whispered. She had the biggest black eye I'd ever seen and a cut up lip.
"He got angry," is all she said to me as my own anger boiled in my veins.
Memories of my time with Jason slammed back into my head as my fists balled up at my sides. No man should ever lay a hand on a woman.
"Angry or not, Dakota, this is unacceptable. You're pregnant!" I shrieked. "Grab your things, I'm taking you home."
"No! Drake can't know can't keep relying on Drake."
"Then don't," I snapped. "Pull your head out of your ass and live the life you've always wanted, Dakota. There's nothing stopping you but yourself. Stop running back to a guy that's going to do nothing but hurt you and start your own life. If not for yourself, then for the baby in your belly." I didn't put it lightly as my anger still coursed through me. Dakota needed to stop playing the victim card and start living for herself. That's what I did and look at me now.
She slowly nodded as she began to shove her things into her bag, but then I caught something on the inside of her arm and marched right up to her. I grabbed her arm and held it out, noticing the needle mark in her arm before I glared up at her.
"Have you shot up?"
She whipped her arm away from me and kept her eyes down as she continued to pack. "That's none of your business."
I guffawed. "None of my business?! You called me away from my family time out west to come rescue you and you've been shooting up?! What is the matter with you?!" I knew I should have been more gentle in my approach, but I just couldn't be. I was fucking livid.
"Well excuse me for taking you away from your ridiculously wealthy family time. I won't do it again."
"Oh my God, that's not what I was saying."
"Then what were you saying, huh?" She snapped on me. "Come on, spill it. You think I'm a pathetic human being who can't get her shit together. You came to rescue me, but I guarantee you won't ever let me live it down."
I grabbed her arm and turned her toward me. "That's not true at all. I care about you, Dakota, and I want you to care too. Your life isn't a game. That baby's life isn't a game. Sometimes tough love is needed for you to-"
"To what? Live happily ever after? You have no idea what the fuck you're even talking about, Ms. Perfect. You don't know the struggles Drake and I have had to endure growing up."
I wanted to tell her that we all had our own struggles. My life was far from perfect, but I wouldn't shove that in her face right now. She needed my help and so I'd give it to her.
"Grab your shit and let's go, Dakota. Drake isn't going to be home until tonight. We can hide your black eye and lip until they have healed." I walked to the door and held it open for her before she slipped out.
We got into the Bentley after the assholes on the railings whistled at us again. I was in a bad enough mood that I might have told them off, but I didn't want to start anything that was unnecessary. I just wanted to get home.
My bag of sex items sat between my feet on the floorboards and I prayed Dakota didn't ask me what was inside. Drake might be open and public about his sex life, but I wasn't. What I did with Drake in or out of the bedroom was nobody's business but our own.
Once we hit the freeway, I glanced over and saw that Dakota was fast asleep. The nearly four hour drive was going to be brutal so I pulled out my phone and called Drake. I hadn't heard from him since this morning and wanted to now.
It rang and rang and rang before his voice-mail picked up. "Hey, you've reached DrakeHudson. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can." Beep.
"Hi, it's me. I just wanted to hear your voice." I glanced over at Dakota and debated on telling him, but knew I wouldn't. As far as Drake was concerned, I was still in Seattle until late tonight. "Missing you like crazy and can't wait to see you. I love you, Drake."
Then I hung up and got comfortable. We had a long drive ahead of us.
